key events in australian (micro-)blogging during 2010

Key Events in Australian (Micro-)Blogging

during 2010

Axel Bruns / Jean BurgessARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation, Brisbanea.bruns@qut.edu.au – @snurb_dot_infoje.burgess@qut.edu.au – @jeanburgesshttp://mappingonlinepublics.net – http://cci.edu.au/

Thomas Nicolai / Lars KirchhoffSociomantic Labs, Berlinthomas.nicolai@sociomantic.com / lars.kirchhoff@sociomantic.com http://sociomantic.com/

Project: New Media and Public Communication

• ARC Discovery (2010-12) – A$410.000• Axel Bruns (CI), Jean Burgess (SRF) – QUT, Brisbane• Lars Kirchhoff, Thomas Nicolai (PIs) – Sociomantic Labs, Berlin• Project blog: http://mappingonlinepublics.net/

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Social network sources:

· YouTube· Flickr· Twitter· blogs

Research tools:

· network crawler· content scraper· content analysis· network analysis

Research tool development and baseline data

Baseline information:

· data extraction· content creation statistics· patterns in terms and themes· baseline social networking map· interconnections between social network spaces

Content creation patterns

Changes over time:

· short-term statistics· regular / seasonal patterns

Cluster profiling:

· common themes / patterns· lead users

Focus on specific events

Cultural dynamics:

· rapid spread of new ideas· communication across clusters· thematic discourse analysis· relationship with main- stream media coverage

Methodology – Blogs

Analysis

Capture

Identification

Known Blogger

Population / Blog

Directories

Post Statistics and

Embedded Links

Patterns of Activity over

Time

Networks of Interlinkage (short/long

term)

Post Texts

Thematic Clusters and

Keyword Mapping

Analysis – Blogs

•Volume over time

•Comparison across clusters

Patterns of Activity over Time

•Interlinkage between known blogs

•Outlinks to external sources

Networks of Interlinkage (short/long term)

•Keyword analysis by cluster

•Keyword co-occurrence maps

Thematic Clusters and Keyword Mapping

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

5.11.2007 12.11.2007 19.11.2007 26.11.2007 3.12.2007 10.12.2007 17.12.2007 24.12.2007 31.12.2007 7.01.2008 14.01.2008 21.01.2008

Posts

Outgoing Links

Blog Network (between known blogs only)(~8500 blogs / 17 July to 25 Aug. 2010 / All page links / Node size: Indegree)

politics food

parenting

arts & crafts

design and style

2010

-Jun-

23 0

0

2010

-Jun-

23 0

1

2010

-Jun-

23 0

2

2010

-Jun-

23 0

3

2010

-Jun-

23 0

4

2010

-Jun-

23 0

5

2010

-Jun-

23 0

6

2010

-Jun-

23 0

7

2010

-Jun-

23 0

8

2010

-Jun-

23 0

9

2010

-Jun-

23 1

0

2010

-Jun-

23 1

1

2010

-Jun-

23 1

2

2010

-Jun-

23 1

3

2010

-Jun-

23 1

4

2010

-Jun-

23 1

5

2010

-Jun-

23 1

6

2010

-Jun-

23 1

7

2010

-Jun-

23 1

8

2010

-Jun-

23 1

9

2010

-Jun-

23 2

0

2010

-Jun-

23 2

1

2010

-Jun-

23 2

2

2010

-Jun-

23 2

3

2010

-Jun-

24 0

0

2010

-Jun-

24 0

2

2010

-Jun-

24 0

3

2010

-Jun-

24 0

4

2010

-Jun-

24 0

5

2010

-Jun-

24 0

6

2010

-Jun-

24 0

7

2010

-Jun-

24 0

8

2010

-Jun-

24 0

9

2010

-Jun-

24 1

0

2010

-Jun-

24 1

1

2010

-Jun-

24 1

2

2010

-Jun-

24 1

3

2010

-Jun-

24 1

4

2010

-Jun-

24 1

5

2010

-Jun-

24 1

6

2010

-Jun-

24 1

8

2010

-Jun-

24 1

9

2010

-Jun-

24 2

0

2010

-Jun-

24 2

1

2010

-Jun-

24 2

2

2010

-Jun-

24 2

3

2010

-Jun-

25 0

0

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

Total

Change of Plans: Leadership #spill and #ausvotes Election

23 June, 18:00-00:00:

Speculation

24 June, 07:00-15:00:

Party Vote & Aftermath

Methodology – Twapperkeeper

Analysis

Capture

Identification

#Hashtag Archive

Tweet Statistics and

@Replies

Patterns of Activity over

Time

Networks of @Replies

(short/long term)

Tweet Texts

Keyword /Key PhraseMapping

Analysis – Twapperkeeper

•Volume over time

•Keyword frequencies

Patterns of Activity over Time

•Conversation vs. follower network

•Dissemination of RTs vs. @replies

Networks of @Replies(short/long term)

•Keyword analysis over time

•Keyword co-occurrence maps

Keyword / Key Phrase Mapping

#spill Discussion Network

#ausvotes: Overall Activity (17 July – 24 Aug. 2010)

Keyword Co-Occurrence

#ausvotes: Mentions of the Leaders

#ausvotes: Mentions of the Leaders (cumulative)

#ausvotes: Key Themes

#ausvotes: Key Themes

#ausvotes: Discussion Network17 July to 25 Aug. 2010 / All @replies / Node size: Indegree / Node colours: betweenness centrality)

Notes and Limitations

• Twapperkeeper relies on #hashtags• Problem if #hashtags are inconsistent/unclear• Follow-on @replies and retweets may not continue to use

#hashtags• Casual commenters may not use #hashtags in the first place• May miss early developments – e.g. #hashtag standardisation

• Twitter as a subset of society:• Broadband policy and Internet filter over-, asylum seekers

underrepresented• #hashtag use is a further sign of self-selection• Need to look to Twitter firehose for more comprehensive picture• Need to track baseline activity to understand how exceptional

#ausvotes was

• See more at mappingonlinepublics.net – up next: time-based animations...• Or find us at @snurb_dot_info and @jeanburgess